A SUNNY autumn day saw a recital of mediaeval musical instruments in the Priory – and what an appropriate celebration of one aspect of the history of the community.

Although the thirty monks in the fourteenth century would have conducted their services a capella with no accompaniment, their secular neighbours would have been proficient in a range of instruments to accompany social gatherings and to provide community entertainment.

Simon Pickard came to Lunch Box on Thursday 24th September to talk about and play some of his collection of mediaeval instruments.

Simon is a member of The Waites of Gloucester, a group modelled on the band of musicians run by the City of Gloucester in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They perform at concerts and social functions and give talks about the instruments they play. Simon is an organist and retired music teacher and a Tour Guide at Gloucester Cathedral. They perform at concerts and social functions and give talks about their speciality.

Simon talked for half an hour about a range of instruments and demonstrated each one. He included the shawm [shown] and gemhorn, a symphony and a mediaeval harp and psaltery – an early form of dulcimer.

Simon has done much research into mediaeval instruments and commented on the lack of information – instruments tended to be simple and unsophisticated – difficult to make – and performances tended to be accompaniments to events rather than concerts.

Much of the early information has come from the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer who provides considerable detail among his stories of everyday people.

The windows of the east end of Gloucester Cathedral are also a valuable sources of information and pictures of fourteenth century instruments; a treatise was written in the early 1930s but is about to be updated in the light of recent research.

This was a particularly good Lunch Box talk and merits a repeat at some stage to investigate the subject in more detail.

The next Lunch Box will be held on October 8 when Ruth Pole will give us a talk entitled Mercy Ships. Mercy Ships provides free surgery and medical care, and partners with local communities to improve health care, offering training and advice, materials and hands-on assistance.

The talk will start at 1pm and tea and coffee will be available from 12.30pm. Bring your own lunch – all welcome.